CounterSpin Shannon Minter on ‘Conversion Therapy’ Ruling, Alex Frandsen on Local News Day
Apr 3, 2026
Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, explains the Supreme Court ruling on bans of conversion therapy and its limits. Alex Frandsen, organizer with Free Press and Media Power Collaborative co-lead, discusses Local News Day and efforts to strengthen community-rooted journalism. They explore legal framing, media coverage, and strategies for rebuilding local news.
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Court Struck Law Over Viewpoint Not Safety
- The Supreme Court struck down Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors because of perceived viewpoint discrimination in the law's wording.
- Shannon Minter explains the court focused on wording that seemed to disfavor non-affirming beliefs, not the therapy's harms, creating legal vulnerability for ~25 similar state laws.
Rulings Create Conflicting LGBTQ Health Precedents
- The decision conflicts with recent rulings allowing bans on gender-affirming care, creating inconsistent Supreme Court precedent on LGBTQ+ health issues.
- Minter notes the majority treated conversion therapy as pure speech while Justice Jackson's dissent saw it as regulation of professional treatment.
Talk Therapy Is Still Professional Treatment
- Therapies that are verbal are still professional treatments and should be regulated as conduct, not as protected viewpoint speech.
- Minter emphasizes therapy is evidence-based diagnosis and treatment, not merely casual conversation between two people.
